1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to authentication printing for executing printing under the condition that authentication has been carried out.
2. Related Art
There has long been known an authentication printing system that prevents information leakage and the like by permitting only a person, who has been subjected to authentication using an authentication device, to perform printing. Japanese Patent Publication No. 3034160, for example, disposes a configuration in which, when printing a confidential document, the image data that is generated based on the print data is stored in the printing apparatus and printing is executed based on the image data under the condition that user authentication has been carried out, instead of printing the document immediately in response to a print instruction. Furthermore, JP-A-2004-118232 discloses a configuration in which the print data for authentication printing are accumulated in a server beforehand and, when authentication information is transmitted from a printer the relevant print data is transmitted to the printer.
In authentication printing, print processing is carried out once user authentication is completed, hence it is assured at the start of the print processing that the user who has been authorized to duly execute the authentication printing (referred to as “authorized user” hereinafter) is present in a print execution location (in the vicinity of a printing apparatus or an authentication apparatus).
In the previous authentication printing system, however, once the user authentication is completed and the print processing is started, the print processing is continued even if the authorized user is not present in the print execution location. Consequently, it is possible that, after the print processing, a printed matter is left untouched without being collected for a long time in the absence of the authorized user. Other people might see the left printed matters, thus the confidentiality intended in the authentication printing might not be ensured sufficiently.
Therefore, in order to ensure the confidentiality to enhance the effectiveness of the authentication printing, it is important that the authorized user, who has executed the authentication printing, confirm whether the printed matter is collected or not upon completion of the print processing.